Liverpool next up

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
27 Oct	7:45 PM	LC	Liverpool (H)	2	1	Win

With another 2 points dropped to West Ham the focus shifts swiftly, albeit temporarily, from what is wrong with our senior team to who might be capable of fixing the problems from our youth and reserve teams.

Fabianski will be looking forward to getting his gloves on and frog jumping both his competitors in their quest to be the number 1. While most people will point to his needless rush from his goal line in last year's FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea as an indication of his rashness I am willing to give him another chance considering in the very next game he did the same thing and pulled off an important save. A sign perhaps that he doesn't let criticism get to him which is a crucial trait in any top player and specifically goalkeepers who are only scrutinised when they make mistakes.

In front of the young Pole is likely to be our forgotten man Phil Senderos partnering Mikael Silvestre in central defence. I for one am really hoping that we keep a clean sheet as there is a very real chance that one or more of these trio will be called upon as the season wears on. It might go against popular opinion but I would actually like to see our Carling Cup team grind out a few games and hence show to Wenger that should / when we need a solid goalkeeper, cool headed and strong centre-half or combative midfielder he can look to within rather than calling his scouts with an order for European takeaway.

The player who probably raises most expectations is the thus far mercurial Jack Wilshere. The home-grown tyro does possess an impressive skill set however I would like to think that the more experienced players like Carlos Vela and Samir Nasri will be grabbing this game by the scruff of the neck along with Aaron Ramsey and allowing the younger Wilshere, Francis Coquelin and Sanchez Watt to bed in with relative ease.

If you're not enjoying what you're doing then you won't be as good at it. Wilshere is still only 17 and should be enjoying his football rather than being saddled with the mantle of the great white hope. To put him into perspective only a year ago his contemporaries were watching this fixture on TV only because they got all their homework done first.

Finally, regarding someone who has played a crucial role in the development of our youth structure and has had a direct hand in the development of so many of our current players in the youth, reserve and senior ranks it would be a great shame should Liam Brady leave us so as to be allowed to continue his work with the Republic of Ireland national team.

As you will probably already know the Republic are a play-off away from going to the World Cup next year. Anyone who watches or listens to him on this topic will quickly realise that Brady is relishing his role in helping take his country to a World Cup.

National manager Giovanni Trapatonni and his Italian assistant Marco Tardelli have already renewed their contracts with the FAI however Brady has still not signed his extension as he is trying to work out a compromise where he can continue with his club and country. If, as is distinctly possible, Arsenal say no and ask him to spend all his energies on Arsenal then it is also quite possible that he will walk from the club altogether.

The next time we are rubbing our hands in glee that it is Arsenal who have Jack Wilshere or got Cesc Fabregas for free or send a team to the Champions League final for a modern day football pittance then we should maybe take a moment to remember how lucky we are to also have Brady.

Here's hoping that Brady gets what he wants in a trip to South Africa next year and we get what we want in a stellar group of Arsenal developed players heading out there with silverware already secured and safe in the knowledge that they are with one of the world's greatest clubs.

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